Off Topic Thread 4.0

15-03-2018 09:09AM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

I think we should boycott this 'St Patty's Day" rubbish in America tbh...makes us look like idiots.
Sure... Leo can go to America...but perhaps go to Irish centres, some gay coalition meets and stay away from the morons in govt

We get access to world leaders in 35 major world economies every year because of St.Patricks day. We may not like all of those world leaders but local businesses and the overall economy is reliant on that foriegn investment.

We don't have to like Trump or Pence but Varadkar would be doing a massive disservice to the electorate by not engaging diplomatically. The short term optics would be swiftly outweighed by the long term lack of access if he was to shun or embarrass them.

You may think it makes us look like idiots, but other similarly sized nations would send envoy's dressed as clowns to get this kind of access and exposure.

dregin · 15-03-2018 09:20AM

Neil3030 wrote: »

I'm genuinely torn on whether I like the French or Welsh anthem better. Both epic.

Welsh every time. I tried to learn it by following some badgered phonetic version. Hilari-bad: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/anthem/pages/anthem-lyrics-phonetic.shtml

TV cameras caught me channeling my inner Alun Wyn Jones on Saturday:
Alun+Wyn+Jones+Wales+v+New+Zealand+UCPmL0RnH7yl.jpg

Alun+Wyn+Jones+Wales+v+New+Zealand+UCPmL0RnH7yl.jpg

My wife doesn't seem all that impressed with it :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

irishbucsfan · 15-03-2018 09:28AM

Just out of shot there behind yer man in front's head is the burrito he was about to bite into

Bazzo · 15-03-2018 09:48AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

He's of Sligo descent if I remember, so we can blame Connacht for that one

Pfff please, with a surname like Pence? He's probably 1/254th Irish and 253/254ths WASP.

molloyjh · 15-03-2018 09:53AM

dregin wrote: »

Welsh every time. I tried to learn it by following some badgered phonetic version. Hilari-bad: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/anthem/pages/anthem-lyrics-phonetic.shtml

TV cameras caught me channeling my inner Alun Wyn Jones on Saturday:

My wife doesn't seem all that impressed with it :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

POM would be proud.

Buer · 15-03-2018 09:55AM

Bazzo wrote: »

Pfff please, with a surname like Pence? He's probably 1/254th Irish and 253/254ths WASP.

You know you can have 3 Irish grandparents and still have a name like Pence?

Or have only one Irish parent and have a name like Varadkar?

prawnsambo · 15-03-2018 09:55AM

Bazzo wrote: »

Pfff please, with a surname like Pence? He's probably 1/254th Irish and 253/254ths WASP.

It probably started out as Spence, but was mis-transcribed on Ellis Island by some poor clerk who couldn't understand the Ulster accent.

irishbucsfan · 15-03-2018 09:57AM

His Sligo family were Cawleys

Probably Bazzo's cousins

Bazzo · 15-03-2018 10:02AM

Buer wrote: »

You know you can have 3 Irish grandparents and still have a name like Pence?

Or have only one Irish parent and have a name like Varadkar?

I hope I don't have to start adding some sort of indication of humour to posts...

irishbucsfan wrote: »

His Sligo family were Cawleys

Probably Bazzo's cousins

Jaysus is that the crazy cousin Mick who made is big in the shtates that I've heard so much about?!

irishbucsfan · 15-03-2018 10:45AM

Bazzo wrote: »

Jaysus is that the crazy cousin Mick who made is big in the shtates that I've heard so much about?!

Pretty sure there was a Mick Cawley involved somewhere

Teferi · 15-03-2018 10:48AM

Is there any other small country in the world that has a standing annual appointment with the US President? We would be absolutely mad to give that up only because Trump is an unpopular president.

Leo is doing plenty of community outreach over there - He met with members of the Irish -American community in SXSW, had a cultural exchange with members of the Choctaw Nation, today or tomorrow he is meeting up with heads of Irish business' that are in the US market, and will meet the Irish community in New York later in the week.

Podge_irl · 15-03-2018 11:01AM

Teferi wrote: »

Is there any other small country in the world that has a standing annual appointment with the US President? We would be absolutely mad to give that up only because Trump is an unpopular president.

Exactly, it would be stupid. A tradition once stopped is harder to restart as well.

Jack Kanoff · 15-03-2018 05:04PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

We get access to world leaders in 35 major world economies every year because of St.Patricks day. We may not like all of those world leaders but local businesses and the overall economy is reliant on that foriegn investment.

We don't have to like Trump or Pence but Varadkar would be doing a massive disservice to the electorate by not engaging diplomatically. The short term optics would be swiftly outweighed by the long term lack of access if he was to shun or embarrass them.

You may think it makes us look like idiots, but other similarly sized nations would send envoy's dressed as clowns to get this kind of access and exposure.

You have a point... but access without a positive result is nothing....Can we honestly say anything good has come out of a Paddy's Day meeting recently for the Irish economy?....or is it one of these unquantifiable situations with benefits that are only seen behind the scenes .

ClanofLams · 15-03-2018 05:10PM

What do all these trips cost? Around 100 - 200 k I would guess. It’s peanuts in terms of the exposure it gives Ireland. You wouldnt get a 30 second ad on prime time us tv for that whereas these trips are covered heavily in print and tv across the world.

15-03-2018 05:14PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

You have a point... but access without a positive result is nothing....Can we honestly say anything good has come out of a Paddy's Day meeting recently for the Irish economy?....or is it one of these unquantifiable situations with benefits that are only seen behind the scenes .

Yes, absolutely and continually. It's soft power and we enjoy significant ongoing FDI by engaging with industry leaders on these junkits.

Buer · 15-03-2018 05:18PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

You have a point... but access without a positive result is nothing....Can we honestly say anything good has come out of a Paddy's Day meeting recently for the Irish economy?....or is it one of these unquantifiable situations with benefits that are only seen behind the scenes .

It's not even about agreeing any significant measures or deals between the two nations when we meet the POTUS. At the very least, it puts the country in the shop window of the biggest economy on the planet.

The tourism earned on the back of a bowl of Shamrock being handed over in front of cameras would more than pay for the trip alone, I'd imagine. That's before we consider anything in relation to investment in industry or trade links being developed on the back of the visit.

15-03-2018 06:07PM

Buer wrote: »

It's not even about agreeing any significant measures or deals between the two nations when we meet the POTUS. At the very least, it puts the country in the shop window of the biggest economy on the planet.

The tourism earned on the back of a bowl of Shamrock being handed over in front of cameras would more than pay for the trip alone, I'd imagine. That's before we consider anything in relation to investment in industry or trade links being developed on the back of the visit.

And the more immediate need for an ambassador. We've had no US ambassador since O'Malley left last year.

Jack Kanoff · 15-03-2018 08:31PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

And the more immediate need for an ambassador. We've had no US ambassador since O'Malley left last year.

Had forgotten that!

pickarooney · 15-03-2018 08:38PM

My phone wants me to download an upgrade to the download app.

What can they possibly have added to improve it?

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2018 09:38AM

Well if the visit is supposed to show that we’ll bend over backwards to accommodate foreign investment, it’s been a resounding success!

16-03-2018 09:56AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Well if the visit is supposed to show that we’ll bend over backwards to accommodate foreign investment, it’s been a resounding success!

Pretty hilarious own goal by the Taoiseach.

Still though, I've absolutely no problem with a minister for Tourism raising a query on planning for Windfarms in a tourist hot-spot. Especially given the number of jobs involved and how much the economy benefits from Tourism. It's exactly what he should be doing.

prawnsambo · 16-03-2018 10:06AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Pretty hilarious own goal by the Taoiseach.

Still though, I've absolutely no problem with a minister for Tourism raising a query on planning for Windfarms in a tourist hot-spot. Especially given the number of jobs involved and how much the economy benefits from Tourism. It's exactly what he should be doing.

Why do tourism and windfarms get capital letters and minister does not? That's the burning question here.

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2018 10:11AM

It's reassuring to know that our ministers can be reached during their weekends away at the rugby just in case American billionaires need them to put pressure on the planning authorities.

Technology moving us forwards.

16-03-2018 10:24AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It's reassuring to know that our ministers can be reached during their weekends away at the rugby just in case American billionaires need them to put pressure on the planning authorities.

Technology moving us forwards.

Oh go and get your pitch forks out and stand outside the Dail if this upsets you.

He already disclosed this in an interview with Time months ago.

We have actually spoken twice. The first time was many years ago, on a different matter. It was a small thing. When he bought the [Doonbeg] golf course in County Clare, I was Minister for Tourism at the time and he had a planning issue which we were able to resolve. It was resolved by the county council rather than by me but it was resolved.

If someone is going to create a load of jobs and promote tourism (especially when the country is in deep recession) I absolutely want the minister for tourism facilitating that, even if the person is Trump.

It's amazing that local councillors and TD's have complained and intervened to prevent wind farms for years but when a large local employer asks the Minister to intervene everyone loses their mind.

16-03-2018 10:28AM

prawnsambo wrote: »

Why do tourism and windfarms get capital letters and minister does not? That's the burning question here.

My pinky makes his own decisions as to what words get capitals or not. I argued the fact once. NEVER AGAIN.

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2018 10:44AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Oh go and get your pitch forks out and stand outside the Dail if this upsets you.

He already disclosed this in an interview with Time months ago.

If someone is going to create a load of jobs and promote tourism (especially when the country is in deep recession) I absolutely want the minister for tourism facilitating that, even if the person is Trump.

It's amazing that local councillors and TD's have complained and intervened to prevent wind farms for years but when a large local employer asks the Minister to intervene everyone loses their mind.

No one is remotely surprised that ministers get involved. Obviously they shouldn’t be getting involved if they were following the rules as has been pointed out this morning, but we know they are.

But it was a massively embarrassing thing to be saying in the States. A public admission in front of the world that our government ministers are at the beck and call of foreign nationals so long as their bank balances are big enough. Particularly when you talk about how it happened while you were over supporting the rugby. A terrible picture to be painting of our democracy, especially when the likes of Paisely were (I believe) in the room.

16-03-2018 11:02AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

No one is remotely surprised that ministers get involved. Obviously they shouldn’t be getting involved if they were following the rules as has been pointed out this morning, but we know they are.

But it was a massively embarrassing thing to be saying in the States. A public admission in front of the world that our government ministers are at the beck and call of foreign nationals so long as their bank balances are big enough. Particularly when you talk about how it happened while you were over supporting the rugby. A terrible picture to be painting of our democracy, especially when the likes of Paisely were (I believe) in the room.

I don't find it embarrassing even in the slightest. I want large employers to have ministerial access. Not influence, but certainly access.

When a minister opens a new office is that embarrassing? How about when a minister is involved with negotiations to sway a multinational here, is that embarrassing?

When we go out of our way to protect our corporate tax rate for foreign employers, is that embarrassing?

We are a country reliant on investment, foolish for our ministers to sit on the sidelines.

stephen_n · 16-03-2018 11:12AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

No one is remotely surprised that ministers get involved. Obviously they shouldn’t be getting involved if they were following the rules as has been pointed out this morning, but we know they are.

But it was a massively embarrassing thing to be saying in the States. A public admission in front of the world that our government ministers are at the beck and call of foreign nationals so long as their bank balances are big enough. Particularly when you talk about how it happened while you were over supporting the rugby. A terrible picture to be painting of our democracy, especially when the likes of Paisely were (I believe) in the room.

Isn’t that exactly what FDI interests want to hear?

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2018 11:12AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I don't find it embarrassing even in the slightest. I want large employers to have ministerial access. Not influence, but certainly access.

When a minister opens a new office is that embarrassing? How about when a minister is involved with negotiations to sway a multinational here, is that embarrassing?

When we go out of our way to protect our corporate tax rate for foreign employers, is that embarrassing?

We are a country reliant on investment, foolish for our ministers to sit on the sidelines.

None of those things are remotely the same.

The government should facilitate the private sector where it suits the Irish people, not take their orders from it. That’s exactly what has happened here.

Telling stories about stepping in on top of a renewable energy program at the behest of a foreign billionaire has embarrassed a lot of people. You’d think a minister for tourism would have better judgement, but I suppose he hasn’t really shown that in his other briefs either. It may not have embarrassed you, fair play, but it’s headline news for a reason and has completely undermined the trip.

The Americans probably won’t bat an eye because their system is completely under the thumb of the private sector. Ours shouldn’t be though and the leader of our government has let us down by trying to paint the picture that it is.

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2018 11:17AM

stephen_n wrote: »

Isn’t that exactly what FDI interests want to hear?

I’d imagine they want to hear that they can all invest here for absolutely nothing, and we’ll throw money and shamrocks and pots of gold at them.

That doesn’t mean we should do it for them.

Off Topic Thread 4.0

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